Meet Scholarship recipient Ailish Clements

NAIDOC Week - Ailish Clements interview

I'm Ailish Clements.

I'm 18 years old. I'm a proud Yorta Yorta Dja Dja Wurrung woman and I study here at LaTrobe University in Bendigo.

During my education I faced many challenges. I was completing VCE and at that time I was dealing with family disputes regarding DV, was at risk of homelessness and overcrowding. I had to move out and get my own place.

That was a really big challenge for me to overcome and go through. I also fell pregnant in 2023 and had to complete my exams and VCE and graduate 8 months pregnant.

It was hard but it was really worth it. I look back and I'm so glad that I completed everything and I done as much as I did. It's made me grow so much as an individual and this scholarship has even helped me to be able to continue studies and everything whereas without this scholarship I may not have been able to do that.

To the local indigenous youth I would tell them despite all the challenges, the achievements, and the end goal and what you get out of it, what you learn out of it, overpowers all the struggle you went through.

I came out of it and I realised you know what I can't take time back I can't change what happened but I can look back and say I'm grateful that I've learned this and I've grown in this way and for the future you know I want to set a good example for indigenous youth, my child and everyone around me.